UH Law Alumni Association Awards 2016

We are very pleased to announce and congratulate the following recipients:

Jim Roach ’82
Dean’s Award Winner

By the time he became a teenager, James (Jim) Roach knew two things about himself – he wanted to study law, and he wanted to see the world. Roach, a 1982 alumnus of the University of Houston Law Center, credits the school’s diversity for helping him achieve these goals.

“Growing up in a small Iowa town, moving on to a big Texas city, and studying law at UH was extremely broadening. The law school especially — what a cross-section of people I experienced in my time there. People who embrace cultural differences in addition to similarities experience a much more fulfilling life and, in turn, greatly benefit their children,” says Roach, who will receive the Dean’s Award at the 40th Annual Law Gala and Auction, on April 2.

“The University of Houston Law Center is absolutely one of the country’s premier practicing law schools. While there, the students’ focus is geared at hands-on legal work. My fellow graduates were well trained at actually practicing law immediately upon graduation.”

Roach has been with ExxonMobil for more than 34 years in a number of domestic and international assignments, including London, Norway, Singapore, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. During this time he continued in many ways to maintain a relationship with the Law Center.

He has seen many Law Center alumni like himself begin their careers at ExxonMobil, where 51 Law Center graduates are currently employed.

“Jim has always been one of the most ardent supporters of ExxonMobil’s programs to provide legal services for the indigent, setting a high bar of giving and community service for all of us to follow,” says Jack Balagia, ExxonMobil vice president and general counsel.

“Over a very long career, Jim has brought to bear on ExxonMobil’s tax issues an amazing combination of technical knowledge, creativity, and passion. Moreover, he shatters the stereotype people have of tax lawyers—in a good way,” says Jaime Spellings, ExxonMobil vice president and general tax counsel.

Roach is a director of the Houston Law Foundation Board and sponsored the Jim Roach Scholarship for Excellence. He is also vice president of the U.S. International Fiscal Association for the Houston Region. His vision is to strengthen ties between the Law Center and Houston-based businesses and law firms.

“The more bridges the Law Center builds with law firms and businesses in our country’s soon-to-be third largest city will prove valuable,” says Roach. “That’s where UH has an edge that law schools located outside large cities don’t have. I’m really looking forward to further synergies among the Law Center and the practicing community. I particularly am impressed with the willingness of the central administration and the Law Center to leverage the university’s strengths in the business community.”

“Jim Roach is an accomplished lawyer and a proud UHLC alumnus,” said Dean Leonard M. Baynes. “Over his career, Jim has been a stalwart member of the Law Center Foundation Board and a strong booster of the alumni community and the overall community. I am delighted to honor Jim with this most prestigious Dean’s Award.”

Roach is the first corporate attorney to win the Dean’s Award, a milestone he does not take lightly.

“It’s a sense of great honor,” says Roach. “I’ve learned from many cultures that perhaps the most important value is to give more than you receive in all areas of life. And while it’s easier to donate funds, it’s much more rewarding to give time, emotion, energy, and effort, including pro-bono activity. To be recognized by the Law Center for my time and effort, that’s really special.”

 

 

THE HONORABLE MICHAEL H. SCHNEIDER ’71
Alumnus of the Year
In recognition of exceptional achievement and noteworthy contribution to the UH Law Center and the UH Law Alumni Association

Senior U.S. District Judge Michael H. Schneider carries with him a daily reminder of his time at the University of Houston Law Center. 

It has served him well in a legal and judicial career that has spanned more than four decades. 

“The best teacher, lecturer, and mentor I ever had was Dean Newell Blakely,” Schneider said. “I carry his notes with me today.  Every day when I make a ruling on evidence, in my mind I flash back to his examples and what he said the reason for the rule was.”

Schneider was nominated to the U.S. Eastern District of Texas Court by President George W. Bush in May 2004 and was confirmed by the Senate in September 2004. He assumed senior status in January 2016. 

Prior to his federal judgeship, Schneider served on the Supreme Court of Texas from 2002 to 2004 and as chief justice of the First Court of Appeals of Texas from 1996 to 2002. 

From 1990 to 1996, Schneider was a presiding judge in the 157th Harris County District Court.  His first judicial experience was as a part-time judge in the municipal court of West University Place from 1978 to 1990. 

He practiced as a general attorney at Dresser Industries Inc. from 1976 to 1980 and at Bawden Drilling Inc. from 1980 to 1986.  His last position as an attorney was from 1986-1989 as a general solicitor for the Union Pacific Railroad Company. 

After graduating from the Law Center, Schneider began his career as an assistant district attorney in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, a position he held from 1971 to 1975. Schneider earned an Associate of Arts degree from Lon Morris College in 1963 and a B.S. from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1965. He obtained an LL.M. in 2001 from the University of Virginia School of Law.

 

 

The Honorable Vanessa D. Gilmore ’81
PRESIDENT’S AWARD
In recognition of outstanding commitment, service, and dedication to UH Law Center students and alumni

In 1994, when Vanessa Diane Gilmore was sworn in as a U.S. district judge for the Southern District of Texas, she was the nation’s youngest sitting federal judge. She was nominated by President Bill Clinton and became the first University of Houston Law Center graduate to be appointed to the federal bench.

Gilmore decided to pursue a career in law after she represented herself and won a minor civil lawsuit. In 1982, Gilmore began a 13-year tenure at a Houston law firm known as Vickery, Kilbride, Gilmore and Vickery where she specialized in civil litigation. She also became an active member of the Houston civic community, serving on the boards of a number of civic and charitable organizations, including a term as president of the YWCA of Houston. She became involved in the Texas political arena while serving as counsel and teacher in the area of election law. Her civic activities brought her to the attention of Gov. Ann Richards who, in 1991, appointed Gilmore to the Texas Department of Commerce Policy Board, where she served as chairperson from 1992 to 1994. Gilmore was the first African-American to serve on the board which is responsible for increasing business, promoting tourism, and developing job training in Texas. In 1993, she also served as chairperson of Texans for NAFTA.

Gilmore is the co-author of “A Boy Named Rocky,” a book for the children of incarcerated parents, and is a frequent speaker on issues related to these children and their families. She has worked on initiatives to help these families with access to resources for their children, including the development of a legal clinic. Gilmore is also the author of “Saving the Dream,” a novel that she hopes will encourage people to pursue their dreams of parenting through adoption.

 

 

Tom Godbold ’82
CORPORATE SECTOR ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
In recognition of exceptional achievement in the corporate and business communities

Tom Godbold is the executive vicepresident, general counsel, and secretary of Twin Eagle Resource Management LLC, an energy commodities marketing and midstream company. Prior to joining Twin Eagle, Tom was with Fulbright & Jaworski, L.L.P. in its Houston and Washington, D.C., offices for 28 years. A member of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Godbold was a partner in the trial department at Fulbright. He has served as president of the Houston Bar Association, the chair of the State Bar Board of Directors, chair of the Houston Volunteer Lawyers, and in other non-profit roles. Prior to Fulbright, Tom was a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Carl O. Bue, Jr. in Houston. Tom earned a B.B.A. in finance from The University of Texas in 1979 and his law degree from the University of Houston in 1982.

 

 

Ann Ryan Robertson ’77
PRIVATE SECTOR ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
In recognition of exceptional achievement in the private sector legal community

Ann Ryan Robertson, an international partner in the Houston office of the global law firm of Locke Lord LLP, serves as an arbitrator and advocate in international and domestic arbitrations. Her practice focuses primarily on commercial and energyrelated disputes. Robertson was named to Global Arbitration Review’s “Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration” in 2015 and 2016. Since 2014, she has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America and, in 2014, received the distinction of Lawyer of the Year, International Arbitration — Governmental (Houston) by The Best Lawyers in America. Since 2009, Law & Politics and Texas Monthly have recognized her as a Texas Super Lawyer in the field of international law, and, in 2008, she was honored as one of 30 “Extraordinary Women in Texas Law” by Texas Lawyer. Robertson is a member of the U.S. delegation to the NAFTA Advisory Committee on Private Commercial Disputes, a trustee of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a board member of the American Arbitration Association, and a past member of the International Chamber of Commerce Commission on Arbitration. She is a member of the arbitration panels of the American Arbitration Association, the International Centre for Dispute Resolution, the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration, and the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board. An avid supporter of the Law Center’s advocacy program for the past 14 years, Robertson has coached the Law Center’s Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot team which competes each year in Hong Kong.

 

 

The Honorable Terry Jennings ’88
PUBLIC SECTOR ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
In recognition of exceptional achievement in public service

Terry Jennings earned his J.D. in 1988 at the University of Houston Law Center. He served as an associate editor of the Houston Law Review and was the 1987 Outstanding Law Review Candidate. A San Antonio native, he earned his B.A. in government at The University of Texas at Austin in 1982. Jennings began his career in civil litigation. In 1990, he joined the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, prosecuting everything from narcotics to murder cases. Promoted to the Special Crimes Bureau in 1994, he prosecuted complex white-collar crimes, including engaging in organized crime, fraud, and intellectual property cases. Jennings prosecuted more than 1,000 cases and tried, first chair, more than 100 cases to verdict.

Elected to Texas’s First Court of Appeals in 2000, Jennings, now the court’s senior justice, has written more than 1,000 opinions on the merits. He is board certified in civil appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and from 2003 to 2014“served with distinction” on the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee. The Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists named Jennings its 2009 Appellate Judge of the Year. In 2011, the Houston Press named him “Houston’s Best Appellate Judge.”

 

 

The Honorable Mike Engelhart ’95
PUBLIC SECTOR ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
In recognition of exceptional achievement in public service

Mike Engelhart has been the judge of the 151st Civil District Court since Jan. 1, 2009, after being elected county-wide in 2008. He was re-elected in 2012, receiving the second highest number of votes of any district court judge candidate. A 1995 graduate of the University of Houston Law Center, Engelhart was an associate editor of the Houston Law Review. He earned a B.A. in political science and Spanish from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. As a litigator, Engelhart practiced throughout Texas in state and federal courts. He represented thousands of Texans in litigation matters of all types, including plaintiffs and defendants, personal injury and business matters, jury trials, arbitrations, mediations, and appeals.

Engelhart is board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law, and speaks Spanish fluently. He is on the board of directors of the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists and is on the board of directors of Greater Houston Kosher Chili Cookoff, Inc. He is also a member of the nominating committee of the Texas Bar Foundation, as well as a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas. Engelhart is a certified mediator and a member of the advisory board of New Leaders Council of Houston. He is a frequent CLE presenter and author.

 

 

Anna M. Archer ’06
RISING STAR AWARD
In recognition of future promise and notable commitment to the UH Law Center

Anna M. Archer is a 1998 graduate of the University of Houston and a 2006 graduate of the University of Houston Law Center. Before attending law school, Archer worked as an air traffic controller with the Federal Aviation Administration and as a certified tae kwon do instructor. While attending law school, Archer was a dedicated member of the Law Review and served as chief articles editor. After law school, she clerked for U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent for one year before beginning her practice in the litigation department of Baker Botts L.L.P., where she worked for three years. In 2010, Archer decided to return to clerking when she received an offer to clerk for U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller, a UHLC alumnus. She is currently Miller’s career law clerk. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member at UHLC during the summers, teaching and mentoring students who are working as judicial interns. Additionally, Archer mentors UHLC students through the Clerkship Mentoring Program and the Upper Level Mentoring Program, and she is often at the Law Center serving on panel discussions and helping in other ways. She has served as an ambassador of the Houston Bar Association and co-chaired several HBA committees, including the Law Library Committee, the Minority Opportunities in the Legal Profession Committee, and the Gender Fairness Committee.

 

 

Jarvis V. Hollingsworth ’93
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AWARD
In recognition of significant achievement toward developing a more diverse and inclusive legal community

Jarvis V. Hollingsworth is a partner at Bracewell LLP and heads the Public Entities Practice group, counseling trustees of government and education entities and directors of public and private companies on their fiduciary duties and corporate governance. He co-chairs the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and is a member of the firm’s Finance and Political Action Committees.

Hollingsworth served as a regent on the board of the University of Houston System from 2009-2015 where he served as chairman of the board and chair of the endowment, finance, executive, and compensation committees during his tenure. From 2002-08, Hollingsworth served as a trustee on the board of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, 2005-08 as board chairman. TRS is a Texas state agency that manages a $100 billion-plus pension trust fund for retired and active teachers.

Hollingsworth has received numerous awards, including most recently the 2016 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Drum Major award from the North Houston Frontiers Club. He is a former director of the State Bar of Texas. Prior to his legal career, Hollingsworth served for several years as a captain on active and reserve duty in the United States Army.

A native of Fayette, AL, Hollingsworth received his B.S. degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center. Hollingsworth serves on the board of directors of Infogroup, Inc. and on the advisory board of Haddington Ventures LLC.

 

 

The Honorable George C. Hanks, Jr.
HONORARY ALUMNUS AWARD
In recognition of outstanding dedication to the UH Law Center

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks, Jr. of the Southern District of Texas was nominated for the bench by President Barack Obama in 2015. He previously served as a U.S. magistrate judge, a justice on the Court of Appeals for the First District of Texas, and as judge of the 157th District Court in Houston. Before coming to the bench, Hanks was in private practice with the law firms of Wickliff & Hall, P.C. and Fulbright & Jaworski, L.L.P. Hanks graduated first in his class from Louisiana State University, receiving his B.A. in economics, summa cum laude. He attended Harvard Law School where he received the Legal Defense Fund/Earl Warren Scholarship and was an editor of the Harvard Blackletter Law Journal. Upon graduation, he served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Sim Lake. He later received his LL.M. degree in judicial studies from Duke University School of Law. He is a member of the American Law Institute, an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center, and a faculty member of the National Judicial College and the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. He is also on the board of directors of the College of the State Bar of Texas and is a member of the advisory board of the Judicial Education Program at George Mason University. Hanks is a published legal author and a lecturer at educational seminars throughout the country. He has served as a member of the Texas Judicial Panel for Multi-District Litigation and the board of directors of the Judicial Section of the State Bar of Texas.

 

 

Professor Craig Joyce
FACULTY DISTINCTION AWARD
In recognition of outstanding contribution and dedication to the UH Law Center

Craig Joyce, Andrews Kurth Professor of Law, teaches copyright, American legal history, and torts. He previously was named Professor of the Year by the Student Bar Association and the Hispanic Law Students Association and received the Baker Award for Outstanding Service (twice). Joyce graduated from Dartmouth College, Oxford University, and Stanford Law School. He practiced in his hometown, Phoenix, AZ, before entering legal academia. At the Law Center, Joyce was founding faculty director, and continues as senior co-director, of the Institute for Intellectual Property & Information Law. He is a member of the American Law Institute, the American Society for Legal History (ASLH), and the International Association for the Advancement of Teaching and Research in Intellectual Property. He serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Supreme Court History, ASLH’s Humanities Social Sciences Online Discussion Network, and the Journal of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A. His scholarship has appeared in numerous law reviews, including Emory, Georgia, Harvard, Houston, Michigan, UCLA, and Vanderbilt, and has been published in the American National Biography, the Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States, the Oxford International Encyclopedia of Legal History, and the Yale Biographical Dictionary of American Law. Joyce is the lead author of a widely adopted copyright casebook and edited “The Majesty of the Law” by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Justice O’Connor’s latest book, “Out of Order,” is dedicated to her 100 clerks and to Joyce by name.

 

 

William J. Jackson ’92
LAW GALA AWARD
In recognition of exemplary support of the Law Gala & Auction

Bill Jackson has largely dedicated his practice to addressing many of the most significant environmental and natural resource damages matters in the country. In 2015, Texas Lawyer named Jackson Gilmour & Dobbs, PC as the “Specialty Litigation Group of the Year” for environmental litigation in Texas. Jackson is a dedicated supporter of the Law Center. While in law school, Jackson served as an associate editor of the Houston Law Review and was awarded the Harold Sellers Scholarship as the top student in his firstyear section. After graduating, he served the University of Houston Law Alumni Association by chairing various committees, by serving on its board of directors for more than a decade, and by serving as president of the Law Alumni Association from 2011-2013. He has served as a guest lecturer in Environmental Law at the Law Center and as an advisor to the University of Houston Law Center’s Environmental & Energy Law & Policy Journal. Jackson has spearheaded various philanthropic efforts benefitting the Law Center, including chairing the A.A. White Society and organizing the Trees for Houston tree-planting and reforestation efforts for the law school grounds. More recently, he has served on the University of Houston Law Foundation Board for several years and is currently chairing the Foundation’s building committee and serving as president-elect of the Law Foundation. In 2014, Jackson chaired the 38th Annual Law Gala and received the Dean’s Award for outstanding service to the Law Center.

 

 

Linda Glover ’01
LAW FUND VOLUNTEER AWARD
In recognition of outstanding service in fundraising for the UH Law Center

Linda Glover is a shareholder in Winstead’s energy practice group. She represents clients in a broad range of complex trial, arbitration, regulatory, and appellate matters. She also assists clients with issues arising out of anti-corruption statutes, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. Bribery Act. Prior to becoming licensed as an attorney, Glover held various management positions in the insurance industry. Active in the business community, she is a member of the State Bar of Texas, a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, and a member of the Houston Bar Association. She is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Institute of Energy Law and the Women’s Energy Network. She also has served or currently serves on the boards of the Houston Volunteer Lawyer’s Program and the Gulf Coast Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Glover is listed as a Best Lawyer in America and has been honored by the Houston Bar Foundation for Outstanding Contribution by a Pro Bono Coordinator in the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program. She received her J.D., graduating magna cum laude, from the University of Houston Law Center.

 

 

Jacqueline Moy ’01
LAW FUND VOLUNTEER AWARD
In recognition of outstanding service in fundraising for the UH Law Center

Jacqueline (Jackie) Moy has been involved in fundraising for the Law Fund for many years, most recently serving as co-chair of the 100% Challenge in 2015. Moy believes strongly in the responsibility of lawyers to use their unique position and resources to serve the greater good of the communities in which they live. She has raised funds and done pro bono work for various groups, such as the Tahirih Justice Center, which provides legal representation for women and children who are victims of the sex trades and human trafficking. Moy is senior counsel for a large independent oil and gas company, providing representation in midstream and downstream transactions, infrastructure projects, and joint ventures. She is a member of the Houston Bar Association and the Women’s Energy Network. She was named a “Texas Rising Star” for several years by Law & Politics and Texas Monthly. Prior to attending law school, Moy was a certified public accountant.